Kotary steam-engine



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".FTERS PHOTO-UTNOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON, DJI,

EENEZER FERREN, OF HAVERHILL,`NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 3,338, dated November 15,` 1843.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, EBENEZER F ERREN, ofHaverhill, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Steamdngines; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference `beinghad to the accompanying drawing,which forms a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is asideelevation; Fig. 2, a vertical section; Fig. 3', top plan; Fig. 4,one half of the shell or case in which the piston revolves; Fig. 5,shell with piston in place; Figs. 6 and 7, piston detached; Figs. 8 and9, top and bottom view of steam chest; Figs. 10 and 11, valves forreversing motion. Fig. l2 is a section showing the steam ways on oneside.

The nature of my invention consists in forming a rotary engine with twopistons, revolving with the shaft in two separate chambers; the steambeing let on, so as to cause them to revolve in either direction, andcut the steam off at any point of the revolution.

The construction of my engine is as follows: Each of the steam chambersare annular, and are composed of two disks B` and G. The disks haveflanges d and e) around their outer circumference, in one of which agroove is cut, with a ring tting into it, which projects from the otherflange, on the disk opposite; the cross section of the steam chamber maybe circular as shown in the drawing, Fig. 2, or any other form; theconstructor may fancy. The two chambers thus formed are placed side byside, a suliicient distance apart to admit the steam ways between them.A short cylinder C surrounds the shaft D, on each end Iof which there isa flanch (a), that is screwed to the steam chamber or may be castthereto; a projection C is formed on each side, in which the steam waysare formed opening into a circular recess D formed in the disk and shownin Figs. 12 in section and 4, front view; they are four in number, twoof them (Z and m) are placed near the circumference of the recess, theinduction way (Z) being on one side of the shaft, and the eduction wayon the opposite side, at the same distance from the center. Above theeduction way (m) is another induction way (a) a little nearer the centerof the shaft, and opposite to it another eduction way (o). Into therecess D a circular disk E is fitted, that projects out beyond it, farenough to form the portion of the steam chamber, thatis cut away by therecess; to this disk the piston F is firmly attached, which moves aroundin the steam chamber. The face of the disk has two slots cut in it, inthe form of a segment of a circle concentric with the shaft, one beingplaced nearer the shaft than the other, to correspond with the holes orsteam ways in the recess; these slots are made longer or shorter, as thesteam is to be used more or less expansively; from each of these slotsthere is an opening into the steam chamber at l, 3; but on oppositesides of the piston. The induction ways (Z and a) run straight acrossfrom one chamber to the other and are intersected by a vertical aperturefrom above, Fig. 12, a; the eduction ways are similar, but have thinopenings below. See dotted lines. A

cylinder K is fastened across over the shaft to the projections C', andopens into each of the induction ways above described; the pipe from thesteam boiler enters this cylinder at the center K. Two pistons o, b, arefitted to the cylinder, and connected together by a rod (Zc); thesepistons, when equidistant from the center of the cylinder K, just coverboth of the induction ways, as in Fig. l0, but when moved either waythey open one of them, as shown in Fig. ll. When the engine is at restthe pistons Z, o, are in the position shown in Fig. 10, covering bothinduction ways; to start it, the pistons are moved to the position shownin Fig. 11, so as to allow the steam a free passage through the`aperture into the steam chamber, on one side of one of the pistons;this forces it around, till the end of the slot in the disk E passes thehole (n), and it is closed; at which time the steam is allowed to workexpansively; the other piston is next acted on bythe steam (it being onthe opposite side of the shaft and in the other steam chamber) thelength of time its slot is passing the steam way, the slot in theopposite piston opening into the eduction way (o) at which the steamescapes; thesteam is thus operating alternately, first on one piston,and then the other. j

On the upper side of the steam chamber there is a projection cast,lettered H, in which a recess is formed to receive a head valve I, whichjust fits the recess, and slides into, or out of it, to stop thechamber, and

for the steam to act against; it is drawn back to 1ct the piston pass,which is effected by a rod (f) attached to the Valve, Aand projectingthrough the recess, parallel with the shaft; on the side of this rodthere is a stud, on which a friction roller is placed; and on the shaft,outside the steam chamber, on each side, there is a cam W which drawsback the Valve, and, after the piston passes, closes the valve again;this takes place while the eduction Valve is open, at which time thereis no strain upon it.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl.The combination of the slots (o and o) in the disk E (to which thepiston is attached and which works in the recess oontaining the steamways) with the four holes (l, m, a, 0,) in the recess; two for ingress,and two for egress, as herein described, so as to allow the steam to becut o' and work eX- pansively.

2. I also claim in combination with the above the pistons b and cylinderK constructed and arranged in the manner and for the purpose herein setforth, so as to let the steam onto both steam chambers by one operation,their action being regulated by the disk.

EBENR. FERREN.

lVitnesses JOI-IN COLEMAN, J. J. GREENOUGH.

